Electrical Safety During A Thunderstorm

The National Weather Service estimates that 25 million lightning strikes occur annually in the U.S., which makes lightning a real threat to the safety of both your family and your home. A lightning strike during a thunderstorm has the ability to penetrate roofs, severely damage walls made of brick and concrete, start fires, and damage or destroy valuable electronics and appliances within your home. It’s important to take steps to protect the electrical systems in your home, as well as your family, during a storm.

To learn more about protecting your home’s electronics, contact the lightning safety experts at All Comfort Services by calling (608) 838-7300 today.

Keep Your Appliances and Home Safe

• Unplug your appliances
  Standard plug-in surge protectors are designed to protect your electronics and appliances from regular fluctuations in the power grid. They are not able to defend against the massive surge of power that comes with a lightning strike. If you’re not able to unplug everything in your home during a storm, it’s a good idea to at least unplug high-ticket electronics, like your television or computers.
• Install a whole-house surge protector
  A whole-house surge protector can help protect your electronics and appliances from power surges without the inconvenience of unplugging them. (Storms can go on for a while, after all; and if you unplug an appliance like a refrigerator, you risk food spoilage.) There are also specialized surge protectors that can protect your HVAC unit, which is particularly vulnerable to storm-based power surges.
• Consider installing a backup generator
  This ensures that your appliances, like your HVAC system and refrigerator, can remain up and running in the event of a power outage.

Keep Your Family Safe

• Stay indoors
  The last place you or your family should be during a thunderstorm is outdoors. Remain indoors to protect yourself from the elements.
• Bring pets indoors
  Bring your pets indoors with the rest of your family. They can become injured during a thunderstorm, or disoriented and lost due to the loud noises.
• Don’t take a bath or shower
  The metal fixtures in your shower can conduct electricity, and water conducts electricity as well, so you should avoid prolonged exposure to both if lightning is nearby.
• Don’t use a corded telephone
  Telephone and cable lines can conduct electricity, so you should avoid using a corded telephone during a thunderstorm. Experts say cell phones and cordless telephones are safe to use in a storm.

We Can Help Protect Your Home and Your Family During a Thunderstorm

Employee-owned and -operated, All Comfort Services has been serving Madison-area homeowners for more than 50 years. Our customers are our neighbors, so we are proud of our customer-focused approach and long-term relationships with the community that we service. We offer upfront pricing, and we never use high-pressure sales techniques. During your service call, our highly trained electricians will provide detailed explanations to our electrical solutions, so you can make an informed decision. Your satisfaction is our top priority.

If you’re ready to prevent lightning damage to your home’s electrical systems, call All Comfort Services at (608) 838-7300 to schedule a consultation, or conveniently contact us online.

Aaron Robarge

Aaron is a master electrician for residential and commercial customers. He’s been performing electrical services at All Comfort Services since 2010. “I like it when everything all comes together when the lights turn on, and I see the satisfaction in the customer’s face,” says Aaron.